


It's Not Goodbye, It's See You Later

by sladeninstitute (orphan_account)



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Female Friendship, Friendship, Gen, No Romance, sometime after STXI and before STID
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-31
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-30 14:21:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1019685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/sladeninstitute
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christine Chapel's leaving the <i>Enterprise</i> for the outer frontier. Her best friend since the Academy is going to miss her dearly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Not Goodbye, It's See You Later

"The outer frontier?" Nyota couldn't mask the surprise in her voice. She was happy for her friend, her  _best friend,_ but that didn't change the fact that Christine was leaving. Leaving the  _Enterprise._  

"The outer frontier." Chapel echoes the words that her friend had spoken only seconds before. "I could be of more use out there. Just imagine, I'd be out there on the front lines! I'd get to see colonization and expansion as it happened. I'd be the first to meet some of these new races! I could use the medical knowledge I get out there to find a position anywhere in Federation space once I'm done!" She'd only been moderately enthusiastic as she started speaking, but the enthusiasm and anticipation built up as she kept on. There was nothing more she wanted to do with her life.

"Sounds like you've really thought this over, haven't you?" Nyota moved from the couch opposite Chapel to sit beside her best friend.

"I have! Honestly, if I'd known about the positions on the frontier before I signed up to be on a starship, I wouldn't be here now." Christine instantly wonders if her comment was badly phrased. She and Nyota had been roommates since day one at the Academy. When their friendship started to take off, they shared dreams of serving on a starship together. To drop a bomb so bluntly like she had might've been offensive to the woman she's been friends with for years.

Nyota isn't even phased by the revelation from her friend. She understands exactly where her friend is coming from. She doesn't blame her one bit. Nyota's sure that she would've thought and/or said the exact same thing if their positions were reversed. Her expression conveys this point without her ever having to say a word.

"You'll keep in touch with me, won't you?" Christine asks it so seriously that Nyota's almost scared of having said something wrong herself. When Christine busts out laughing, pointing at the face of her best friend, a surge of relief washes over the communications officer. She reaches out to gently pop her roommate on the arm.

"Of course I'll keep in touch with you! At least once a day. I'll even send you messages in that secret code that we came up with."

Christine pulls Nyota into a hug and they both know that everything's going to be alright. Even though they're going to be millions of kilometres apart, nothing can stop the friendship that they've developed over the past three years and odd number of months.

\--

All too quickly, the day comes when Christine's due to leave the  _Enterprise_ for the Starbase where she'll be transferred to her next position. Her friends and coworkers gather around her outside of the transporter room, showering her with well wishes and goodbyes. When the crowd thins out, Nyota finds herself right beside her best friend. Before there's even a chance for them to speak, they're both pulling each other into a teary eyed hug.

"I'm gonna miss you so much, Ny!" Christine mumbles her admission into the red fabric of her friend's uniform.

"I'll miss you too. But I promise that you'll get messages from me every day. Check your PADD when you get down to the starbase. You'll probably have something from me by then!" A weak smile plays out on the face of the communications officer. She usually tries to keep her composure in situations like this, especially since she started dating Commander Spock, but she can't do that this time. Not with her best friend. Her confidant.

One of the transporter operators sticks his head around the doorway, letting Christine know that they're ready to transport her down. She gathers her bags and starts for the transporter. Nyota follows her in and crosses her arms, still trying to keep up that smile.

"Good-" Christine is about to say the one word that Uhura doesn't want to hear right now. She holds out a finger to silence her.

"Nuh-uh. This isn't goodbye, you know that! This is "see you later.""

Christine grins, tilting her head.

"In that case. I'll see you later, Nyota." 

"See you later."

The transporter sparkles and her friend disappears on the spot. Instead of standing by and letting her emotions get the best of her, Nyota speeds off to her (now-empty) room. She's got a letter to write.

**Author's Note:**

> I tagged this as "AU - Canon Divergence" because I felt like _Into Darkness_ mentioned Christine's leaving as being because of her failed relationship with Captain Kirk. I felt like (and still feel) that Chapel deserved better than that, so the canon divergence here is that there was no relationship with Kirk, that she wanted to leave for her own (completely plausible) reasons.
> 
> This was always meant to be a short thing, since it was my first/only time writing both Uhura and Chapel.


End file.
